ninjago

Nothing screams, "I'm insecure" to me like a person who will not admit they made a mistake. We've seen Ashton, Ross, and Adrian all own something that they'd messed up on, and not because the Captain told them they had to. They take it on the chin and move on, confident that they will get it right next time and not be defined by their mistake. Meanwhile Rhylee, Caroline and Lauren have explanations and blame to throw around for every mistake they make. And we know from WWHL and Twitter that even now, with time and distance, watching themselves on TV they STILL won't own up to their mistakes! I wonder if this has to do with being a woman in this industry or if these just happen to be three irresponsible people.

I will echo what someone replied to her on Twitter: then why did the cameraman have to be the one to free Ashton from the ropes?

Ashton is such a love. What a doll and a good sport.

Ashton on WWHL is just the most genuine guy. OMG him talking about the FORTY-FIVE MINUTE tender ride, and how he was just going through every emotion and how he wasn't sure he'd totally dealt with the trauma. What a sweet soul. I'm crying watching this. Thank God for Brent. People with cool heads who can act in a crisis are a blessing. Hero.

Her dress didn't fit. Katie mentioned this in her talking head: they're not 22 anymore and most people don't accidentally have a body that is flattered by that dress at 30-they have to work on it a lot, more than most people want to. I don't see how the stuff James has done to the core group is anywhere near as bad as the stuff the core group have done to each other, especially Kristen? What consequences did she face for cheating on her boyfriendS, lying to her best friend, throwing drinks at people, threatening Ariana, punching James in the face, etc., etc.? Even when she supposedly contrite after the cheating fall-out she was still hostile and aggressive towards people, telling people to "Get over it!"

Cynthia also didn't seem to know much about how much HU was going to cost!

I hate LeeAnne, but you, and she, are absolutely right that she is the central figure on this show. But don't D'Andra and LeeAnne realize that what that means is LeeAnne is the most insane, maladapted fuck up on the show? Bethenny, Nene, Vickie, Teresa. Congrats, LeeAnne, you're keeping great company.

I agree with you! I think they benefit HUGELY from having a strong tie to a life far away from Hollywood/reality TV. I too can see them shelving this life/lifestyle once this show is over and taking their money to Kentucky and spinning their "celebrity" into sales jobs or something.

When she started off with the fairly innocuous, "Go jump in a lake" but then ended it with "and drown!" she was totally flashing us Brenda.

I could talk about this post all day, there are so many interesting points in it! Starting with the "el cheapo" gifts: this reminds me of my own (not dangerous) Dirty John, who insisted on celebrating our monthly anniversary by giving me a rose for each month we'd been together and when it was his turn to plan (aka pay) for a date night, he'd cook me dinner at my house and I was supposed to think it was romantic, but when it was my turn, he'd "suggest" we go to the latest trendy restaurant so I could drop $300 on dinner. I consider her standards very low, but maybe this is one of those "love language" things? A 50 year old man with a ton of debt, tax issues, no relationship with his kids and no plan for how he is going to rectify those things? No way. Throw on top of that his "champagne tastes"? Hell fucking no. When Debra comes home from working and John is laying on the couch watching TV and drinking beer (and evidently nodding off from fentynl)....that would turn me off so much, independent of all of the other horrible things he's done. To me, the stuff he "just does" for her are so meaningless. Does she even want a smoothie every morning? Was it really so much of an effort for her to put toothpaste on her own toothbrush? Does he ever do anything for her that is actually helpful, like do the laundry, vacuum, clean the house, make dinner, etc.? It seems like she's letting him tell her what she wants him to do, and then she settles for that.

The environments are so volatile and there's a lot of conflict, drinking and travel, not to mention all the social media intrusiveness, that I'm surprised anyone on one of these types of shows would be approved for an adoption. And Brandi in particular drinks a lot and is involved in a lot of conflict. I'm actually a little skeptical that they are being honest about the adoption origin story. Aren't there hundreds of people looking to adopt white infants? And Brandi is handed one because Stephanie's friend needed to find someone to take this baby? It doesn't seem to add up. Throw in the weird coincidence of the baby having red hair and I feel like maybe the parents of the baby are related to Brandi or her husband.

D'Andra is a snob who thinks she is better than everyone else and I'm sure she does talk shit about all of these women. Brandi is a stereotypical mean girl cheerleader who has to pick on someone and ostracize them from the group. They are not nice people or good friends, but they are jerks in a very familiar, predictable way. LeeAnn is insane. She's like the woman in "When Keeping It Real Goes Wrong"-she goes completely around the bend over any perceived slight and doesn't seem to have any boundaries. Her canned therapy-speak just makes it all the more creepy. It's like the difference between Lisa Vanderpump or Kyle Richards and Danielle Staub or Brandi Glanville.

How do you say "Cat's in the Cradle" in Italian?

Chandler was obviously in way over his head. He acted like an ass, especially towards Rhylee. For that, he got fired, had his ass handed to him weekly on national TV, and got read up and down on social media. On WWHL, Lee and Ross described him as someone who tried his best and had good intentions, but had to go and should have gone sooner. Lee tried to elaborate on this and Rhylee just talked right over him, interrupted him and dismissed even this very mildly positive assessment. I feel like Lee has been doing the reality TV thing for so long he knows the freight train that is social media and was trying to defray some of the fall out for Chandler, who I feel and I think Lee feels, paid enough of a price for being a bumbling, foolish ass.

Seeing her fighting with Ross and then seeing her on WWHL, one of Rhylee's big problems is she has no manners. Putting aside the hierarchy issues, it is very rude to interrupt people, talk over them, raise your voice for no reason, etc. She is like a bad child: self-centered, self-important, rude, petulant when she doesn't get her way (Ashton). She also seems to be someone for whom there is only two modes: fine or BURN IT ALL TO THE GROUND. She can't let it go or tolerate being mildly unhappy. This is a common character trait on Bravo (Jeff Lewis, LeeAnn Locken, Brandi Glanville, Danielle Staub).

Wow, Rhylee is terrible. Captain Lee hates her. Even Andy seemed uncomfortable.

Does she leave? Because she was so obnoxious on WWHL and Captain Lee obviously hates her.

A ringing endorsement from that idiot mother of hers should have been enough to send her running.

I totally understand her frustration with Caroline. I also think Kate and Josiah were subjected to some "profiling": a stick thin, high maintenance woman and a meticulous British gay man? I think Caroline expected them both to be "bitchy" and then she viewed everything through that lens, regardless of their actual, reasonable behavior. However, many of Caroline's failings were failings because she didn't adhere follow protocol and show her superiors deference and follow orders. With the blaring music, and calling names, Kate and Josiah also breached protocol. Live by the chain of command, die by the chain of command.

I see Caroline subscribes to that wise philosophy, "When I go low, they have to still go high."

It really pisses me off that Debra would bring a man she barely knows into her home while her daughter is living there, let him spend the night without telling her daughter he'd be there, and let him roam around the house, including into her daughter's room. I don't care how lonely she was, and even if he wasn't a total creep, that's so grossly irresponsible.

I realize this is a really old post and subject, but just a few days after the reunion, Carole appeared on a Twin Cities radio program (Lori and Julia, for fellow locals), to hawk her appearance shilling sex toys. Before she came on the radio program, one of the radio hosts said she was coming on next, but they were not allowed to even mention RHoNY with her, so the host did about five minutes on Carole's sort of demise on RHoNY, including her poor showing on the reunion. Then they went to commercial, and when they came back, Carole was on doing her cool girl schtick about how great sex toys are because they give her the option to say no to all the millions of men lining up to have sex with her bucktoothed, scarecrow self. Somewhere in Paris, Lee Radziwill fainted.

I hope you had a peaceful Thanksgiving. I think your post is really important. Is it Emily's mother's fault that she is mentally ill? Of course not, but it sounds like she was frequently untreated and that resulted in Emily having a very traumatic childhood and a volatile relationship with her mother right up to current day. What we saw might be the best their relationship has ever been. Emily may have swallowed a ton of hurt in an attempt to include her mother. Does she know what a "normal" mother/daughter relationship looks like? I don't think she would have let herself appear distant and cold to her mother on TV if she could have helped it. I don't know. I feel like we hear so much now about people having to set boundaries with their families just to preserve their own sanity (RHoNJ is seeing this same thing), that I'm not comfortable assuming Emily was just being a mean snob to her mother. I hope they are both in therapy.

It would be great if both Joe and Teresa could be honest about this. He: "My father and I have a complicated relationship. I see him as much as I can without it causing harm to me and my family emotionally." She: "I need a break from my father sometimes/I need financial help in caring for my father." Neither side will drop that "Italian fambly!" bullshit. I don't think Joe owes his father his time or affection. I do think it is to be expected that all grown children would provide financial support. HOWEVER, if I am the Gorgas, and Teresa, who actively encouraged her parents estrangement from Joe and Melissa, and also benefited from that estrangement (free childcare, etc.), came to me, now that Nonno is past the "giving" stage and into the "taking" stage, and said, "You owe me this help", I admit I would be more than a little salty. You wanted Nonno all to yourself? You got him, Tre.

LeeAnne is part Grey Gardens, delusional weirdo, part Joe Pesci in Goodfellas fly off the handle sociopath, part obsessive stalker. She is creepy as hell and so vindictive. She probably has a notebook of every grievance she's ever had with anyone and she will seek vengeance until she dies. I don't even blame Cam or Stephanie for being "phony bitches" because I would be scared to death to have her turn her crazy eyes on me.